Dorghu's Pride and Love
by Stand-of-Fish
Summary: Full summary in the first chapter below )!


Dorghu has loved watching cartoons since he was a young pup and has kept this secret for a long time to keep up appearances. The only exception being that he watched them heavily with Mikey when Mikey was just a pup himself. As Mikey grew older and Dorghu more respected within the Clan, eventually gaining the status as leader. He has to set boundaries and maintain his reputation. With Dorghu secretly fearing that his son would see him as a joke as he grew older, and not as the great Orc that he is if he continued. He sets his own set of expectations for Mikey and goes about it in a way he thinks is best so that his son can have a father he can be proud of, as he is of him. What happens when Mikey suddenly remembers his dad's secret love for cartoons and reminds him that it's OK to let his guard down.

Ears flickering, Mikey grumbled and sat up as he woke from a fitful slumber. This was a repetitive hell. All week, the stress of barely being able to sleep at all while doing his best to avoid talking with his dad about what he wanted to do after highschool, flanked him. Dorghu thought Mikey would just join the Clan completely and stay at home, so he could be groomed to take over. Mikey groaned and rubbed his face as he recalled how his father, gruff and ever-serious pulled him aside one day and mentioned taking over the runs and grunt work. Putting in hard work until he moved up the ranks himself. Dorghu was a man of hard work, not wanting to just hand off what he held onto for decades with a clenched fist. His boy would be like his father. He went on to state what Mikey already knew and heard millions of times before. Thankfully, Dorghu's well-rehearsed rant was cut short with a insistent ringing of his phone. Seeing how his father's face turned into a serious scowl, Mikey hooted mentally, saved by Clansmen business once again. Dorghu motioned for time alone as he picked up with a growled, "what!" Mikey scampered off, not having to be told twice.

Mikey was more off-kilter than ever as he dragged himself tiredly out of his room and into his personal bathroom for his morning rituals. He prayed everyday to Jirak and gave thanks for this bit of privacy. It was another reason given to put off his father's need for talks with the clan, which grew in number to where he didn't want to come home anymore so he started staying out late to throw his father off. Calls made to his phone with barks and questions of where he was, who he was with, with barely a question of if he was safe or not. Or really even how he was doing. It hurt. Throwing off the covers, Mikey didn't just want to waste the day sleeping this weekend and hiding out from his father(like he usually did if there wasn't Clan business). They still shared a home. On Friday nights, Dorghu would just come home either tired or drunk, sometimes both. Going so far as nursing his rare hangovers in his favorite chair and listening to the Orc Football league on extremely low volume to get at Mikey. With their excellent hearing, Mikey didn't know how his father did it but shrugged the thought off, not wanting to ask why, lest it lead to him mentioning that he was shirking his duties as next in line for Clan leadership.

Not wanting to waste another moment thinking about his dad, he finally dragged himself tiredly out of his room and into the bathroom for his morning ritual.

Flossing thoroughly before picking up his curved bristle toothbrush, he applied specially made organic, Orc toothpaste and began brushing his tusks with brisk rough strokes. Moving onto to his primary teeth and reaching back inside and brushing his tongue after two minutes, he spit out the paste and rinsed his mouth. The mint toothpaste humans used had a strong flavor and scent that was hell on Orc noses. Tasted disgusting too because they didn't know how to prepare such things with a less heavy hand in mind with the ingredients. He knew because a human friend of his made a bet with him being the one that lost and went through the motions, gagging the entire time as his friend laughed. He noted that he needed to get a new buffer for his tusks because upon inspection, looked sad and ready to give out. He tossed it along with his toothbrush into the trash and hopped into the shower. He needed to restock his personal and cleaning items as he looked around his bathroom. He let the stresses of the week roll off of him with the hot water and prepared himself for a long weekend. School had pretty much been a factor with his ongoing need for peace and not being able to have any. He begun to snap at his friends and teachers, apologizing as he realized his short temper would do him no good if he didn't get his home situation under control. he was after all in his senior year and was determined to finish with no mishaps and go off to College someday. Because with graduation cracking down on him and his classmates. He had no choice but to cram, apply for scholarships, suffer through project after project, and numerous papers. Teachers hounded him and his classmates to do their best for the last few weeks they had left, so they would meet their deadline. Urged them on. But being the straight A student that he was, it was no problem. He had more free time than he knew what to do with, away from tagging and decided to help his classmates who needed the help. Offering to tutor anyone who asked was his thing now. Mikey found that he had a penchant for teaching and helping others the more he got into it. He would hold back his smiles and snarls of happiness, watching his classmates advance. Sometimes his Orcish traits scared the focused mind, especially happening so suddenly. Otherwise, no one was bothered too much and even smiled back. His dad, never being a factor into his school life this last year as it had in middle school.

The teachers took notice of this and pulled Mikey aside numerous times-the brave ones anyway. Even knowing his father's reputation, they offered letters of recommendation. Everything they thought Mikey would need to succeed. They believed in him!

At first, Mikey didn't bother when the acceptance and letters of invitations started rolling in. Too embarrassed, too afraid of what his father would do and say after mentioning that he wanted to go off to College.

It was quickly forgotten as he tutored more and more of his classmates, even going so far as to help middle school children, who's parents worried over their kids struggling severely in school and with their homework. The parents would recommend him to other parents after they saw major improvement. He was even writing papers for College and Uni students for extra cash on the side. A hustle well worth it. He worked tirelessly, standing tall and consistently so his 'students' could be proud of themselves. He was proud. Maybe, just maybe it would work in convincing his dad that he could be left to his own devices and not take over. He truly loved what he did. Mikey burned with determination.

It would be something different aside from Clan business but said not a word, fearing and expecting his disapproval. He thought of leaving without saying a word once Summer was out, him already sending off his credentials to a College on the other side of the country. Mikey didn't just want to leave without a word to his father though. It wouldn't feel right. He had to try. He had an idea how.

He vaguely remembered how often he and his father would watch cartoons together when he was really young. Dorghu being as excited as he, watching the animated characters move across the screen as he laid across his father's chest. Son and father going back and forth. Baby babbling and excitedly whispered words.

A lump formed in Mikey's throat.

"It couldn't hurt to try this one last time." Huffing, Mikey squared his shoulders and went to wake his father.

With a quick glance at the clock as he walked through the long hallway to the living room, scenting for his father. It was a rainy morning at seven 'o' clock. A perfect time for the programmed cartoons on Channel 6 and a talk with his semi sober father. A damn near perfect time to catch the famed, 'Jirak and the Wand,' as well.

Jirak and the Wand was a relatively new show he followed and watched himself that was quickly gaining popularity amongst the races. It was about the Great Orc Jirak and his adventures to defeat the Dark Lord and retrieve the Wand. What made it so popular, the show consisted of mainly Orc voice actors. It had historically correct facts with omitted dark truths, was friendly for all ages, great animations and pushed for equality with all races and that everyone deserved the best treatment without having to be bullied for being different.

...

"Dad?" Mikey looked over into to his father's chair, spotting the quietly breathing man and approached him slowly and sat down on the couch, next to him.

"Bout time boy."

Dorghu couldn't understand what he was doing wrong when it came to trying to get Mikey to talk to him or come around. Why he'd been so distant lately, he didn't know. He knew he could come on strong at times, he needed to. Needed to be because of his position. He hoped Mikey could understand that. He couldn't show weakness now that his son was getting older. He thought maybe Mikey still held a bit of a grudge from when he held Nick, Ward and Tikka, even going so far as to demand that Mikey kill Nick, the Bloodless one. He laid out the honor for his son by giving him his first kill and step up in the clan. He wasn't the lowest that handled grunt work anymore but he wasn't anywhere near being at the top. He needed Mikey to understand that having associations with the Bloodless and human was a disgrace. He was thankful but not that thankful.

They did rectify their thoughts of him and gave that Orc his dues, even Blooding him and involving him in non-illegal Clan cookouts and parties.

Standing, he groaned and stretched, slightly pulling at his joints to wake them up from his long night reclining. He went to sit next to Mikey, remote in hand and handed it off as his son motioned for it. They were both silent as Mikey pulled up the first episode of a cute little cartoon that had a exaggerated smiling Orc. Singing and smiling with friends of different races.

They hadn't done this in a long time.

Maybe it was time to really listen to what his son had to say and stop pushing his selfish desires off on his boy.


End file.
